Door-latch



T. L. CHURCH.

DOOR LATCH- APPLICATION FILED SEPT-511919- RENEWEDOCT- 911920.1,378,583. Patented May 17,- 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 7770177415 Lea [Wu/ T. L. CHURCH.

DOOR LATCH.

APP'E'ICATION FILED sums. 1919. RENEWED oc T. 9. 1 920.

Patented May 17, 1921.

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Quorum THOMAS I1. CHURCH, OF GILBERT, MINNESOTA.

nooR-LArgH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1921.

Application filed September 6, 1919, Serial No. 322,174. Renewed October9, 1920. Serial No. 415,947.

' and the like, though not necessarily, for the reason that it can beapplied to other doors, and the invention aims to provide a latch ofthis kind, which is simple, eiiicient and practical in construction, andmay be manufactured for a relatively low cost and sold at a reasonableprofit.

A great many latches heretofore employed springs to move the latchmember either to an open or a closed position in engagement with thekeeper, and it has been found that springs so employed very soon rustand break, or get out of order, thereby causing the latch to operateunsatisfactorily.

Furthermore a good many of the latches heretofore used become useless ina very short while, owing to thesagging of the door. When a door, onwhich a latch here tofore used, sags, it will be latched very loosely. Agreat many of the latches heretofore used will not engage the keeper,owing to their being no provision made for adjusting the latch tocompensate for the sagging of the door.

Hence, a further object of the invention is to eliminate the employmentof springs, thereby avoidingthe springs becoming corroded and uselessand rendering the latch inoperative or ineffective. In eliminating' theuse of springs it is the aim to provide a latch which is gravityactuatedto engage the keeper, so that the latch will at all timeseffectively operate and cooperate with the keeper. v

The invention further aims to provide means, whereby the latch may beadjusted, so as to compensate for the sagging of the door, and to holdthe door securely closed and latched.

The invention further aims to provide A further object of the inventionis the:

provision of a latch which engages its keeper on the inner side of theclosure, that is on the jamb or the post of the door opening, and toprovide means exteriorly or" the door to operate the latch to disengageit from its keeper.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means on theexterior of the housing, to be engaged by the latch operating means, tohold the door open.

While the design and construction at pres ent illustrated and set forthis deemed pret erable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction ofthe invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, theinvention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changesis claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what isclaimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of thedoor, and the ja 11), showing the Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of theinner I face of the door, particularly that portion near the jamb ordoor post, showing the latch in engagement with its keeper.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing theconstruction of the latch, and showing the latch has p in engagementwith its keeper.

Fig. 4 is an edge plan view of a portion of the door, showing the latchapplied, anc illustrating the door swung open, so that its outer race isadjacent the outer face of the housing, (which is in section) with theoperating handle in engagement with the keeper on the exterior of thehousing, to hold the door open. 1 1

Fig. 5 are enlarged detail views respectively in perspective, showingthe interengaging surfaces of the hasp and one end of a sleeve, whichrotates with the bolt of the the hasp is held relatively to the sleevein different adjusted positions, to accommodate for the sagging of thedoor, whereby the hasp may at all times properly engage the keeper.

- Fig. 6 is a detail'perspective view of the keeper.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the keeper, which is carried bythe outer face of the barn.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of. a portion of the plate which ismounted on the exterior surface of the door, showing the slot 36.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the outside wallof a barn, or similar structure, and 2 denotes the door post, and 3 thedoor, which may be hingedly mounted in any suitable manner (not shown).Secured to the inner and outer faces of the door 3 by the bolts 4; arethe plates 5 and 6, which are provided respectively with cylindricalbearings 7 and 8, in which a sleeve 9 is capable of rocking movements.The opposite ends of this sleeve project slightly beyond the cylindricalbearings T and 8, and the marginal edges of the ends are provided withradial serrations 10 and 11. A bolt 12 extends longitudinally throughthe sleeve, and has a head at one end. This bolt adjacent where the headis formed is rectangular as shown at 12, so that an actuator may rotatewith the bolt. The other end of the bolt has a reduced threadedextension 1% at the opposite end, to be engaged by a nut 15. A hasp 16isprovided and which is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal,which is bent upon itself as 17, 1S and 19, thereby forming a triangularshaped keeper engaging head 20. Where one end of the sheet metal is bentat 19, the end portion thereof is arranged adj acent the body of thehasp, and this end por tion and the body of the hasp receives thereduced end of the bolt 12, the nut acting to hold the end portion andthe body sccurely on the body and the body thereof in contact with oneend of the sleeve. The face of the body which engages the sleeve isprovided with radial serrations 21, which are engaged by the serrations10, thereby holding the hasp in position relatively to the sleeve. Theend portion 22 of the hasp constitutes a handle, whereby the hasp may bemanipulated on the inside or the barn, to disengage the hasp head fromthe keeper. Where the hasp head is bent at 18, the head is provided withoppositely arranged inclined parts 23, the upper one of which isdesigned to cam against the keeper, so as to guide the hasp inengagement with the keeper, whereby either one of the shoulders 24: mayengage behind a part of the keeper, it depending on whether or not thehasp is used on a door which swings open from the right or one whichswings open from the left. The

keeper 25 is constructed from a single piece of metal bent to form theparts 26, 27 and 28, and the parts 27 and 28 are secured by screws asshown to the jainb or door post of the door opening. The bends 29 and 30of the keeper are so formed as to provide the face 31, and the edge 32,so that when the door is closed, one of the inclined parts 23 will rideor camp upon the edge 32, so that a shoulder 24 may engage behind theface 31 of the keeper, and hold the door closed.

When the keeper 25 is placed on the jamb of the door opening in ahorizontal position, the face 31 will assume a vertical position. Forinstance, a position at right angles to the horizontal plane of thekeeper. It is obvious that the keeper is capable of reversibility. Infact, it may be used in connection with right or left hand doors.

A hasp actuating member 33 is carried by the bolt 12. The end of theactuator, which connects to the bolt 12, has a rectangular opening, toengage the rectangular portion 12 of the bolt, so that the actuator whenmoved, will turn the bolt. The body of the bolt 12 beyond therectangular portion 12 is preferably cylindrical, though notIlGOQSStrily, for it is obvious that it ca be otherwise shaped. The endof the actuator which engages the rectangular portion 12 of the bolt ispositioned between the head 13 and the outer end of the sleeve 9. Thisactuator is formed from a single piece of sheet metal and its inner faceis provided with radial serrations 3 1, which mesh or engage theserrations 11 of the outer endof the sleeve. The plate 6 has a lateralportion 35 provided with a vertical elongated slot 36, in which theactuator near its free end engages, and is capable of an oscillatorymovement. limited in its movement either downwardly or upwardly, bycontacting with either the lower or upper end of the slot. The upper andlower ends of the slot 36 are provided with circular enlargements 37 and38, and when the actuator is in its lowermost position engaging thelower end of the slot, the shackleof a suitable padlocksuch as indicated at 39 inayengage the upper circular enlargement, therebypreventing full upward'movement of the actuator, hence pre venting thehasp from being entirely disengaged from its keeper, thereby preventingopening of the door. By the provision of the slot 36 including theopenings 37 and 38 at its opposite ends, it is obvious that the plate 6may be used upon a door which swings to the right, or may be applied toa door which may swing to the left and vice versa. This may beaccomplished by simply reversing the plate 6 in position, when appliedto one or the other style of door. The free end portion of the actuatorterminates in a spherical enlargement or gravity member 10, which urgesa shoulder 24 in engagement with the rear part of the keeper, that isafter one of the edges 23 cams or rides over the lower part of thekeeper. A second keeper as shown in the drawings is secured to the outerface of the wall of the barn or similar housing, and this keeper 11 isconstructed from a single piece of sheet metal, to form a triangularshaped body as shown in the plan view, and the wall 42 of this keeper isprovided with a notch 43 and an inclined edge 44, which is engaged bythe actuator, when the door is swung entirely open with its outer faceadjacent the outer face of the barn or housing, so that the actuator mayengage the notch 43, to hold the door open.

By loosening the nut 15 so as to permit of slight movement of the bolt,whereby the actuator and the hasp may be adjusted relatively to thesleeve and the bolt, the hasp and the actuator may be positioned tocompensate for the sagging of the door, so that at all times the haspmay readily engage its keeper, and remain engaged, until manipulated bythe actuator.

It is obvious that this latch mechanism may be mounted upon a door whichmay swing to the left, as well as to a door which swings to the right,and vice versa. Should the latch mechanism be applied to a door whichswings to the left instead of to the right, then it is obvious that thehasp and the keepers will operate in vertical positions, to thatillustrated in the drawings. However, in either case, the latchmechanism will properly and effectively operate, to latch the door, andmoreover in either case, it is possible to compensate for the sagging ofthe door, to cause the hasp to at all times properly and effectivelycooperate with its keeper.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. In a latch, the combination with a keeper on the jamb of a dooropening, of latching means mounted in bearings of a door transverselythereof and provided with a hasp on one end adapted to cam under andinto engagement with the keeper, and a gravity actuator carried by theopposite end on the exterior of the door, to automatically move the haspin engagement with the keeper, a plate mounted on the exterior face ofthe door and having a right angle portion provided with a vertical slot,in which the actuator is mounted for vertical movement, and meansadapted to engage the upper end of the slot, to retain the actuator inthe lower end of the slot, thereby preventing the hasp from entirelydisengaging from the keeper.

2. -in a latch, the combination with a keeper on the jamb of the dooropening, of latching means mounted in bearingsof a door transverselythereof and provided with a hasp on one end adapted to cam under andinto engagement with the keeper, and a gravity actuator carried by theopposite end on the exterior of the door, to automatically move the haspin engagement with the keeper, means for connecting the hasp and i theactuator to the locking means, whereby one or both may be adjustedrelatively to the locking means and the keeper, to compensate for thesagging of the door, a plate mounted on the exterior face of the doorand having a right angle portion provided with a vertical slot in whichthe actuator is mounted for vertical movement, and means adapted toengage the upper end of the slot, to retain the actuator in the lowerend of the slot, thereby preventing the hasp from entirely disengagingfrom the keeper.

3. The combination with a keeper on the door post of a door opening, ofplates secured to the inner and outer faces of said door and providedwith axially alined cylindrical bearings, a sleeve mounted in saidbearings, a hasp and an actuator, means passing through the sleeve andprovided with an element for effectively and detachably and adjustablyconnecting the hasp and the actuator to the opposite ends of the sleeve,the hasp being-on the inner face of the door and adapted to cam inengagement with the keeper, the actuator being on the exterior face ofthe door and having gravity means to hold the hasp in engagement withthe keeper.

4. The combination with a keeper on the door post of a door opening, ofplates secured to the inner and outer faces of said door and providedwith axially alined cylindrical bearings, a sleeve mounted in saidbearings, a hasp and an actuator, means passing through the sleeve andprovided with an element for effectively and detachably and adjustablyconnecting the hasp and the actuator to the opposite ends of the sleeve,the hasp being on the inner face of the door and adapted to cam inengagement with the keeper, the actuator being on the exterior face ofthe door and having gravity means to hold the hasp in engagement withthe keeper, and means cooperating with the actuator to latch the hasp inengagement with the keeper.

5. The combination with a keeper on a door post of a door opening, of apair of axially alined cylindrical bearings adjacent the inner and outerfaces of said door, means for supporting said bearings in positions onthe door, ahasp and an actuator, means mounted in the sleeves andconnecting the hasp and the actuator, a device carried by said means andcooperating with the hasp for detachably and adjustably connecting thehasp and the actuator to the opposite ends of the sleeve, the actuatorhaving gravity means for holding the hasp in engagement with saidkeeper.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

THOMAS L. CHURCH.

Witnesses:

J. F. GIANOTTI, A. B. Conn.

